Psychotherapy Practice Opens on Mountaintop

By Matthew Avitabile

LEXINGTON — Dr. Helle Thorning is bringing her experience to the Mountaintop with the opening of Catskills Mountaintop Psychotherapy in the town of Lexington.

After moving to the United States from Denmark at 18, Dr. Thorning built a substantial career in social work and psychotherapy. She received a master’s degree in social work from Columbia University and a PhD in Clinical Social Work from New York University’s Silver School of Social Work. Her dissertation focused on the impact of severe mental illness on family members and family life.

Dr. Thorning has been in practice for more than 30 years, including private practice since 1994. She has worked in both in-patient and out-patient psychiatry, served as Director of Social Work at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, and is a professor at Columbia University. Later, she became Assistant Dean of Field Learning at NYU’s Silver School of Social Work, where she oversaw clinical practicum training for master’s and PhD students—an essential component of social work education.

She returned to Columbia University at the Center for Practice Innovations, where she directed a training institute for community mental health treatment teams. There, she helped support people “on the margins” of society, including those most at risk of incarceration or institutionalization. Her expertise also took her abroad—she has contributed to social work education in Kazakhstan, Chile and Vietnam and, as a native Dane, assists the Danish Social Board in implementing evidence-based care models for individuals with long-term mental health challenges and their families.

In recent years, Dr. Thorning partially retired and shifted her focus Upstate. She and her husband, Bennett Wine, bought a home in Greene County in 2008. She commuted on weekends until the pandemic, when she transitioned much of her work north. Today, she splits her time between New York City, and her Lexington practice.

“We are loving our life here,” she said, adding that Lexington is a “wonderful, engaged community.”

Dr. Thorning said she understands the importance of accessible therapy and social work in rural areas. She hopes to bring her decades of experience to meet the growing local need for mental health professionals in Greene County.

Her new practice will offer a hybrid model of therapy, allowing clients to meet either in person or online. She noted that many people divide their time between multiple homes, or travel to visit children and extended family, making flexibility essential to successful outcomes.

Potential clients include individuals coping with anxiety, trauma, depression, grief, caregiving responsibilities, chronic illness, or supporting loved ones with addiction or psychiatric conditions. Dr. Thorning also works with those facing life transitions such as retirement, empty-nesting, illness, or sudden loss. She cited climate anxiety, national events, and personal challenges as additional issues clients may bring to therapy.

In addition to traditional therapy, Dr. Thorning offers sessions outdoors, including walks and conversations in natural settings. She said this approach grew out of pandemic restrictions and can be particularly healing in the Catskills. “Sometimes just sitting on a bench outside makes it easier to talk about what’s on your mind in a more natural environment,” she explained.

Dr. Thorning has also launched a community mental health series at the Lexington Community Hall. The two-hour workshops will cover topics such as anxiety, caregiving, and loss, aiming to enhance coping skills and create a forum for open discussion. She hopes to bring together local therapists and community organizations to increase awareness of mental health resources in Greene County.

The first events are scheduled for Sept. 10 and Oct. 4, each from 2–4 p.m., with more planned in the coming months. All are welcome to attend.

To learn more about Dr. Helle Thorning’s therapy practice, visit her profile on Psychology Today https://www.psychologytoday.com/profile/1284875. For information about the community events, contact her at hellethorningwine@gmail.com. If you are a mental health provider in the area and would like to participate in future community events, she would encourage you to reach out.